Through Rose-Tinted Glasses
by Chelli
Summary: RAW 7/16, from the rose's perspective... which rose? the rose that Spike gave to Molly, of course! I know, it sounds weird, but read it anyway... then review it!


Through Rose-Tinted Glasses  
  
Spoilers: RAW 7/16  
  
NOTE: This is from the perspective of the rose from RAW that Spike gave to Molly.  
  
Here I am, sitting with a bunch of my siblings (they can't exactly be called brothers and sisters) in a florist's bin on a street corner. We're pretty much silent now; we have been since we were picked. But I'm not sure if the silence is charged with excitement or dread. After all, since we were seeds we've known this was coming. But it depends on how you look at it. I could say I'm fulfilling my destiny, or I could say I'm dying for someone else's enjoyment. I prefer the 'fulfilling me destiny' attitude. I always have looked at the world through rose-tinted glasses.  
  
I'm going to be the first one chosen. How do I know? The florist put me on display. Either I'll be chosen within the next hour or I won't be chosen at all. I'm surprised he put *me* on display. I am the proverbial 'runt of the litter' so to speak.  
  
Some guy with a crutch comes up and inspects us, and he's wearing this huge grin on his face. I know immediately that I want to be the rose he chooses. He'll be buying me for a good reason; not for a funeral, not to make up for lying or cheating, but to give with good news. And of course I'm right. I hear him talking to the florist, saying he wants to buy a rose for his girlfriend Molly, but he's not sure which one to pick. Hell-OOO! I'm right HERE!!!  
  
He pays the florist the money and slips my stem into the back pocket of his camouflage pants. He's careful not to ruffle my petals, which is a difficult task when you're on a crutch. This guy… Spike, I think he said his name was… really must care about this Molly girl. Glad I could help you out, Spikey.  
  
  
~*~ At the Arena ~*~  
  
From what I've heard from his pocket, this Spike guy is a wrestler, and the runt of his litter, like me. I like this guy already. On top of that, he's been having a feud with his brother, so he and Molly have a Romeo & Juliet thing going on here. Ooh, this is so exciting! I've always wanted to be involved in one of those dramatic romances!  
  
Tonight, he's going to announce to his girlfriend - and the whole world - that he loves her. Gutsy move, if I so say so myself.  
  
He's walking to the ring now, and I can hear so much shouting and cheering. It seems he's pretty popular with the fans.  
  
He starts about with some stuff about how he knows everyone's looking forward to Invasion, he doesn't want to waste too much of their time, blah blah blah. Get to the good stuff, Spikey! *Finally* he asks his girlfriend to come out. The cheers are just as loud for her as they were for Spike. She must be something special for all this fuss.  
  
"…I may not be a Partridge, but I think I love you."  
  
You *think* you love her? Spike, come on, what happened to all those rehearsals we went through? That line was cute, but come on… I knew you could be insecure, but not that insecure.  
  
"…I think I love you too."  
  
Well good, at least he didn't totally blow it. Despite my slight disappointment, this is such a romantic moment. They're so sweet, and it's good to know people as innocent and loving as them as still around.  
  
"I have something for you." He pulls me out, and when I see Molly's face, I can finally see what all the fuss is about. Her smiling at me, it almost feels like the sun all over again. It's a nice feeling, especially since I know I'll probably never see the sun again.  
  
She carefully takes me out of his hands, and that instant I know that even when I become old and withered, she'll still keep me around so she can remember this night. She'll keep me as long as she keeps Spike.  
  
"I have something for you too," she says with a sly expression on her face, and I begin to think that maybe they're not all that innocent after all. But her face isn't sly in a bad way; she just has something up her sleeve she knows he'll like.  
  
"Really? What is it?" I can tell by he's tone of voice that he doesn't expect what's probably coming. He just expects another kiss or something.  
  
"Well, I can't give it to you here, its…" she stops holding the mike near her face and leans in to whisper something in his ear. I strain to hear it, but I can't over the murmur of the crowd. But I can guess from his face; for a brief second his mouth is open with shock, and he lets his microphone fall to the floor. Then he turns almost as red as I am. His grin is even bigger than it was when he first bought me. Yes, *definitely* not as innocent as I first thought. Still pretty sweet though.  
  
He picks up the momentarily forgotten microphone and says, "Thank you folks, good night," grabs Molly's other hand. If I could smile satisfactorily, I would. My work is done.  
  
I'm more than a little surprised when Molly and Spike stop dead in their tracks. Come on kiddies, what's the hold-up?  
  
This music is washing over me, and I don't like it at all. I see that the faces of Molly and Spike have fallen. Has all my work gone to waste already? Why I ought to…  
  
Molly crosses her arms as this fat guy… Paul Heyman, I heard the announcer say… babbles some nonsense about getting a chair. Get on with it already! We have places to go, doors to lock, love to… (Oh, this is PG? DAM- er, darn.)  
  
Molly sits down, and this Heyman guy starts talking to Spike. I can only hear bits and phrases; it's one of the downfalls of not having ears. "Let me tell you something before anyone else gives you bad advice… I love you like a brother… It's time to come home to ECW… So take care of your business with Molly, then in the morning kiss her good-bye…" Wait a minute, he's trying to break up *my* couple?! Say no Spikey, come on, and say no!  
  
Thank God, he just did. But Heyman won't let up. "Well, that's all right, there's a spot in WCW/ECW for Molly too… We need a gorgeous blonde…" Maybe this guy isn't so bad after all… but I still don't trust him. Say no, your two!  
  
"All it would take is a little lipo-suction and breast implants…" WHAT??? Any chance that I might forgive this guy for spoiling my moment has gone out the window.  
  
Molly jumps up and looks like she's about to attack Heyman. You go girl! I hope she does… just please put me down first. I don't want to get crushed.  
  
"Molly, don't worry, I'll handle this," Spike says in that comforting voice. Good, he's standing up for his girl. I wouldn't expect anything less from Spike. Who says chivalry is dead?  
  
"What do you think you're doing? You can't talk to my girlfriend that way!" Spike's getting in Heyman's face, and I'm proud of him… but it's unsettling how Heyman doesn't look the least bit upset. Now he's got that sly look… but this time I can tell Spike's not going to like it. Now the room is getting dark, and rockets are going off.  
  
  
  
Suddenly I'm falling.   
  
  
  
No one can hear me hit the canvas over the rockets flying and the music playing. Something's wrong. Molly wouldn't just drop me like that.  
  
As I'm lying here, two men enter the ring. They're wearing the same kind of glasses Spike was, I can tell they're the other members of his family. They're the ones trying to keep Spike and Molly apart. One of them takes Heyman's microphone.  
  
"…All people want to know is 'how are Spike and Molly?'" The one in the black baseball shirt whines. If I had eyes, they would almost be rolling. Almost. But there's danger in that man's voice; I wouldn't dare roll me eyes at him.  
  
THEY'RE BEATING SPIKE!! Molly is inches away from me, trying to get past Heyman and help her boyfriend… but she can't. She's trapped in the corner…   
  
Until she gives Heyman the low blow. Heyman falls, and Molly grabs the chair Heyman insisted on getting earlier. She nails Bubba with it, and it looks like she might get Spike out of there after all.   
  
D-Von's charging at her now. She swings at her, but misses, and D-Von grabs her. No no no! It isn't supposed to happen this way!  
  
The one she hit before, Bubba, he's getting up again, and moving a… table? What on earth are they going to do with a… oh no.  
  
They wouldn't.  
  
They couldn't.  
  
They won't.  
  
They… will.  
  
Bubba puts her on the turnbuckle. I stop looking; I can't bear to watch. Instead I focus on Spike, tied up in the ropes. I almost wish I hadn't. The look of agony on his face… I can't stand it.  
  
As the Dudleyz and Heyman leave, the ring, the paramedics enter. Spike had finally freed himself from the ropes, and he's kneeling beside Molly. He looks hysterical.   
  
The medics put her on a stretcher and lift her into the air. Spike insists on holding up the far side of the stretcher. The canvas vibrates as they walk past me. Except one foot doesn't walk past me, or over me. It steps right on me.  
  
As the foot of Spike Dudley crushes me beneath it's scuffed black boot, the irony doesn't escape me. I thought I would be cared for forever…  
  
I can remember the silence from earlier, when I was in the bin with my siblings. I wasn't sure if it was excitement or dread. Well, it wasn't excitement; I felt that when Spike was walking with me out to the ring. It wasn't dread either. Dread is what I felt as D-Von said, "If they want to talk about Molly and Spike… maybe we should give them something to talk about." And I was right to dread what would happen next. My hope of being cherished for years has gone down the drain.   
  
Maybe I shouldn't look at the world through my rose-tinted glasses after all.  
  
  
~Finis~  
  
think I should go back to writing fluff, or stick to drama? I'm thinking about an alternate ending... lemme know! 


End file.
